Business Notes Contests

Frank Maggio is keen on tests of skill and perseverance. For example, he once won a radio by submitting twelve entries to a rock radio station's Easter-egg design contest. Recently Maggio, 23, began playing Beatrice's Monday Night Winning Lineup contest. Cards for the game were available in display cases in grocery stores. On the cards were two rows of dots, and contestants had to scratch them off to reveal the number of field goals and touchdowns scored in a particular football game. The grand prize was a trip valued at $20,000 for eight to the Super Bowl in a Learjet.

Maggio, who works for Procter & Gamble in Atlanta, is familiar with how such games are designed. He thus figured out the possible patterns for the numbers under each dot on the cards. Maggio began hauling home grocery bags full of contest cards and by deadline had mailed in 4,000 winning entries. Beatrice will not reveal how many Super Bowl tickets it expected to award, but when the company learned of Maggio's good fortune, it canceled the contest. Beatrice said the fairness of the game had been compromised. Maggio is contemplating a lawsuit.